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Oh, hiiiii there! Long, loooong time, no talk. I knew I’d make it back here one of these days. It’s been an interesting and exciting past month around these parts. I’ve happily started to find a groove with my schedule, had a great trip home, spent some time with my favorite little girl [.. and the rest of my family], and spent some QT with the hubs.

Playing piano with my girl.

Learning colors.

Happy to go to an Orioles game with 3 of my favorite people!

During Nathan and my 8 mile hike on Nimitz Trail.

One of my favorite things to do with Nathan is take a walk to the farmers’ market every Saturday. The fruit we’ve been getting lately has been out of this world and I knew I had to put some of it to good use for this month’s Recipe ReDux.

Tucked in a crust, nothing says love from the oven like pie. Whether it’s a twist on the all-American apple pie or a traditional recipe from your home country, give a healthy makeover to your favorite savory or sweet pie recipe.

This dessert came together in just a matter of minutes and is the perfect single-serving size. And the best part? Aside from the peanut butter, of course, is the secret ingredient, chia seeds. They serve as a thickener for the filling and are also a great source of Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids, protein, nutrients that help support bone health, such as calcium and magnesium. Happy dessert-ing!

Single Serving PB&J Pie Parfait

Serves 1

Ingredients

5 mini or 1 1/2 regular Reese’s Oreos

3/4 tsp coconut oil

1/2 cup unsweetened cashew milk

1 tbsp chia seed

1 tbsp peanut butter

2 strawberries; sliced

Directions

In a food processor, combine the cashew milk, chia seed, and peanut butter. Set aside in a small bowl for 1-2 hours and allow to thicken.

After the peanut butter mix has thickened, place the Oreos and coconut oil in a food processor and blend until they come together.

Press 1/3 of the mix into a small glass and top with 1/2 of the peanut butter mixture and 1/2 of the strawberry slices.

Sprinkle another 1/3 of the Oreo mix on top with the other 1/2 of the peanut butter mixture and the other sliced strawberry.

I have a chocolate-y treat for you today that you won’t want to pass up. They’re gluten-free, paleo, and sweetened with fruit! Dried plums, to be specific. But don’t go running!

When was the last time you tried a dried plum? They’re delicious! A little sweet, a little tart, and chewy like candy. Not to mention, each serving is just 100 calories, provides 3g of fiber, 293mg of potassium, 16mg of magnesium, and more vitamin K than any other fresh or dried fruit. And in honor of May’s National Osteoporosis Month, why not give them a try?

Almond Butter STUFFED Brownie Bites

Makes 16 brownie bites

Ingredients

3oz. California Dried Plums [about 12-15 dried plums]

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp milk [I used cashew milk]

2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce

2 tbsp coconut oil; melted

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp almomd butter; divided

1 egg

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

For the Frosting

1/4 cup chocolate nut butter*

2-4 tbsp milk

*If you don’t have chocolate nut butter, you can sub regular nut butter and add cocoa powder. You will need to increase the amount of milk if you do this.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place the dried plums in a food processor and process into a paste. You may need to stop and scrape the sides down a few times.

Add the vanilla, milk, applesauce, coconut oil, and 1/4 cup almond butter to the bowl and process until smooth.

Add in the egg and pulse a few times until just incorporated.

Add the remaining dry ingredients to the bowl, pulse a few times to get it started, and finish incorporating completely by hand.

Using a 1/2 tbsp, scoop the mix into 16 mini muffin tins.

With a 1/2 tsp, scoop almond butter on top of the brownie bite base.

Finish off with another 1/2 tbsp of the mix to cover the almond butter and place in the oven for 8-9 minutes.

While baking, make your frosting. Add the ingredients to a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir together until smooth.

Remove the bites from the oven and let cool completely before frosting.

Now who wouldn’t want to snack on that today?! And because I can’t make these for my mom today, you should!

Don’t miss out an all of the California Dried Plum recipes from all of the other ReDux-ers!

And, of course, happy mother’s day to my mom! I wish I could be with you today to celebrate how awesome you’ve always been and always are for me. But hey, if you want to come out here again, I have some brownie bites waiting for you!

Food for Thought

Are you a dried plum fan?
How are you celebrating your mother’s day?

Disclosure: I received free samples of California Dried Plums mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by California Dried Plum Board and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Thank you all for your wonderful comments on Monday’s post. As I said, I’m working on figuring out my balance with jobs and life and blogging. I had to post today to share my new protein bar recipe. It’s just too good to keep to myself. So why not jump back on the What I Ate Wednesday bandwagon?

[Pre-Workout]
It was 2 for Tuesday yesterday so rather than my usual energy bites, I whipped up a quick protein pancake with 1 scoop protein powder, 1/4 cup egg whites, and 1/4 cup cashew milk and spread a little almond butter on top. While it held me over pretty well for barre, I decided to pop 1/2 banana before I went over to the gym for some cardio.

[Breakfast]
I KNOW I said you don’t need to see another bowl of oatmeal. But this might have just been the best bowl of oatmeal ever. Or maybe I was just so hungry. Yep. Let’s go with the latter.

[Lunch]
I got the hugest bunches of kale and bag of carrots from the farmers’ market on Saturday. I sauteed a bunch of them up with some sugar snaps, turkey meatballs, and buffalo sauce, topped with avocado, quick-pickled beets, and ketchup. Legit. And so filling.

[Afternoon Snack]
HOLY YUM! I’ve been trying to figure out a good recipe to replace my favorite Quest bars and this month’s Recipe ReDux helped to inspire my bars.

Go through your pantry, cupboards, freezer, or fridge; what ‘treasures’ have you found? Pick an ingredient/spice/condiment that’s been hanging out for a while and give it the attention it needs. Share a healthy recipe made using your new-found pantry prize.

We’re pretty much the worst at ever finishing a jar of preserves so why not throw it into a bar? These are just the right amount of sweet and the best part? No baking! That said, if you do decide to broil or bake these babies, they are pretty reminiscent of a Quest bar. Success!

Directions
In a medium bowl, melt the nut butter. Mix in the protein powder, coconut flour, and water. The amount of water used will depend on your other ingredients so add slowly. Mix these ingredients until everything comes together and is slightly sticky. Add in the white chocolate chips and 1 tbsp raspberry preserves.

Line a loaf pan with saran wrap and press the mixture into the pan. Top the mix with a little more raspberry preserves and place in the freezer for about an hour. Remove from the freezer and cut into 6 equal bars. Wrap each bar separately in saran wrap and store in the freezer.

[Dinner]
We can pretend that my dinner looked half as good as the real deal. In reality, I decided to not toss the balls in buffalo, skip the naan, and used cheddar instead of blue cheese. I think it would have turned out better if the falafel had been tossed in buffalo.. or if they were fried. Oh well. You win some, you lose some.

I received free samples of Cabot Cheese mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe challenge sponsored by Cabot Creamery and am eligible to win prizes. I was not additionally compensated for my time.

Superbowl Sunday must be one of the biggest snacking days of the year. All of the chips, dips, wings, pizza, beer, and then some.. it’s amazing to see just how many calories people can consume in a short 4-hour game!

As a part of Recipe ReDux, I took on the challenge of creating a lighter snack for the big game. As I thought about what kind of poppables I love to snack on [whether it’s weird or not..], brussels sprouts came to mind. I could eat a whole tray of roasted brussels right out of the oven without giving it a second thought! And cheesy brussels?Oh yes!

I received a shipment of a variety of Cabot Creamery cheeses but knew that I wanted a bold cheddar to stand up to the flavor of the proscuitto and brussels. Seriously Sharp sounds about right, yes?

Proscuitto-Wrapped Cheesy Brussels Sprouts

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss the brussels sprouts with EVOO and black pepper, place sliced side down on a sheet pan and into the oven. Roast the brussels for 15-20 minutes until they begin to crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool enough to handle.

Turn the oven down to 350°F. Once cooled, place a small slice of cheese on the sprout and wrap with a slice of proscuitto. Place the wrapped brussels onto a baking wrap on top of the sheet pan. Bake for another 20 minutes or until the proscuitto crisps up.

Remove the brussels sprouts from the oven, skewer with a toothpick, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. If you’d like, add a little more shredded cheese to the top of the brussels sprouts and serve!

One thing I love about going out to eat is getting seafood. I rarely cook it at home because Nathan doesn’t eat it so it’s a big treat for me. That said, sometimes I just crave a nice piece of fish at home. That’s where Sizzlefish comes in. A few weeks ago, I was sent a beautiful shipment from Sizzlefish that will surely satisfy all of my seafood dreams!

Aside from being downright delicious, fish has so many important health benefits—one of the biggest being the Omega-3s that it provides. Straight from the Sizzlefish website:

Think of Omega-3 fats as Nature’s best performance enhancers. They give cardio-pulmonary and anti-inflammatory benefits to athletes, while actually improving long-term health. They can help you manage weight.

In addition, Omega-3s can provide great benefits to athletes such as muscle recovery and joint health. But enough about the health benefits, let’s get to the cooking!

Directions
Preheat your oven to 425°F. In a small bowl, mix seasonings from cajun through thyme. Place the brussels sprouts on a baking sheet with a drizzle of EVOO and a sprinkling of the seasoning mix and put the baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven.

In the meantime, heat a large skillet on medium high heat and add 1 tbsp EVOO. Add the pepper and onion to the skillet and saute 5-10 minutes, or until the onions are soft. While that is cooking, coat the haddock filets in the spice mix and place the filets on another lined baking sheet. Place the fish in the oven.

When the veggies are soft, stir in the garlic, and add 1 tbsp soy sauce. Add the diced tomatoes and simmer until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Remove the brussels sprouts from the oven [try not to eat all of them straight from the sheet pan..] and toss them with the rest of the veggies. At this point, the haddock should be fully cooked through; it only takes about 10 minutes! Spoon a scoop of veggies on a plate, place the fish on top, and spoon a little more of the veggies on top.

Serving Suggestions

I served my portion over spiralized beet noodles and Nathan’s [with chicken] over brown rice. It would also be good over pasta, other veggie noodles, or just on its own. Additionally, you could swap out the haddock for another white, flaky fish like Atlantic Cod, Sablefish, Rainbow Trout, or even shrimp!

Happy New Year week! I don’t know about you, but I have some big plans for this week.

Last week I got sick and it knocked me on my butt for longer than I had expected. It pretty much hit Monday night and I was out of commission for a few days; though that didn’t stop my Christmas plans! It did, however, stop me from hitting the gym. I went Monday after work, but haven’t been back since. I know I needed to rest and not push my body; I know I needed to just let whatever was in my system play out and not stress about getting in a workout. And I’m sure my body was craving a full week of rest.. the last time I took this long off, it was for the honeymoon! So we took time off and we relaxed. A lot.

We made a roaring fire!

We baked some get-better quick chocolate chip cookies[I swear, they worked!] with a side of Goose Island Bourbon County Stout and Ratatouille.. the movie, not the dish 😉

We had a quiet Saturday and a nice lunch out.

And we made a special Sunday morning trip for fresh bread and breakfast. [I need to make some 5-grain porridge!]

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of my rest and relaxation. There was something just so nice about not having to set my alarm each night to make sure I get in my workout before our day’s plans. That said, it’s time to get back on track. But I’m lacking some serious motivation. I have my workout plan in place for the week and my big goal for the week with my diet is to chillax on the extra snacking. I think once I get back into the gym for the first time, I’ll get back into the swing of things, but I’m also hoping I can count on some extra push from all of you! Commit to 30 minutes of fitness each day this week with me, will ya? Let’s start off 2015 on the right foot!

And start your day off on the right foot too; don’t forget to eat breakfast everyday. Need a new oatmeal recipe? This one uses my favorite flavors of the season and is packed with protein and fiber.

Direction
Place a small pot over medium high heat and add the mashed banana, almond milk, water, and spices. Bring to a boil, stir in the oats, and lower the heat to medium low. Allow the oats to cook for a few minutes until they begin to thicken up. Add the egg whites and stir continuously so the whites to set.

When the oats setup to the thickness that you like, about another 5-7 minutes, remove from heat and scoop into a bowl. Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy! I topped mine with a sprinkle of sea salt, golden raisins, candied ginger, and coconut flakes.

Don’t forget a successful week also comes from a bit of planning. I like to have a set plan for our dinners, not only to know what’s on the menu each night, but it also helps to save money at the store so we don’t just pick up random items. We also have a bunch of leftovers from last week/weekend cooking so we’ll be taking full advantage of that this week too!

Growing up, on almost a nightly basis, my family would sit down to dinner, someone would say “this is good, mom!” and she would say “thanks, I have no idea what’s in it or what I did so I’ll never be able to make it again. But thanks!” She’s always been very much about throwing everything you have into a pot and making something out of it. Go figure, she has a daughter that likes to follow recipes to a T. When I saw this month’s Recipe Redux theme, I laughed.

In the US, November marks the Thanksgiving holiday. But many of us are especially thankful for food memories we have shared with friends or relatives throughout our lives. Was it a special meal you ate as a child? Or, maybe it was a food you grew and harvested with your own children. Please share one of your favorite food memories and the healthier “redo” of the recipe.

You follow? It was hard to think of something when she never made the same thing twice! Well, seeing as how Thanksgiving is upon us, there’s always one side my mom makes. Cranberry relish is something I started helping her make at a very young age because it’s just that easy and it takes all of about 5 minutes. Of course, we also have the “traditional” cranberry jelly on the table, too. But the relish is the good stuff.. aside from all of the sugar that went into it. Time to redux that recipe!

Quick & Easy Cranberry Relish

DirectionsWash your cranberries [be sure to remove any mushy berries!] and toss in a food processor. Process until the cranberries are a chunky relish consistency. Empty into a bowl and add in the orange zest, juice, pomegranate, and 2 tbsp honey. Taste and add more honey if you want it sweeter.

I recommend making it the day before and letting it sit in the fridge overnight. The flavors really come together more as it sits, but you can, of course, eat it all right away!

Nutritional InformationPer 1/4 cup serving

70 Calories / 0g Fat / 18g Carbs / 12g Sugar / 3g Fiber / 0g Protein

We make tons of relish for our army of a family and it never lasts! I can’t wait to make it again this year. Pop this burst of color on your Thanksgiving table for a delicious twist on the traditional cranberry.

Sometimes dinners just work, even when they’re a little different than what you had originally planned. I had a last-minute request last night to stuff “maybe stuff some herbs under the chicken skin” so into the fridge I went! I knew I had a nice, big bunch of fresh basil and right next to it happened to be some cotija cheese—one of Nathan’s favorites lately. Add a little garlic and we’ve got ourselves a delicious chicken. I told you, we eat a lot of chicken here!

This mixture is different from what we normally go for but it was nice to shake it up a bit. And it came out so well, I had to share it right away!

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F and heat a large stainless steel skillet over medium heat. Combine the minced garlic with half of the fresh basil and half of the cotija cheese. Stuff this mixture under the skin of the chicken and season both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Once the pan is hot, drizzle in the EVOO and place the chicken skin side down. Let the chicken sit for about 10 minutes, or until it lifts up easily. Flip the chicken over and place the whole pan in the oven. The chicken will cook in the oven for about 20 minutes, but be sure to adjust cooking time if you swap the leg quarters for breasts or thighs.

While the chicken is in the oven, combine the ingredients for the glaze in a small pot over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer, allowing it to thicken up. When the chicken is fully cooked, remove from the oven and let it rest about 5 minutes. Plate it up with a drizzle of the honey balsamic glaze and a sprinkling of the leftover fresh basil and cotija. Serve with your favorite veggies [we had roasted carrots, tomatoes, and portobello caps] and enjoy!

Hope you have a great weekend, friends! And don’t forget to head over to Laura’s blog to check out all of the other #strangebutgood creations.

If you’ve followed my recent WIAW posts, you’ve probably noticed that I’m a creature of habit. Oatmeal with nut butters for breakfast?Daily.Salads for lunch?You can count on it. But dinner is where I like to have my fun. Plus, I have a husband to feed and he’s very much not a creature of habit when it comes to his food. That said, he does love his chicken! I thought this month’s recipe redux would be a good one for him.

You know they are lurking there: Way in the back of your spice drawer. There lie the herbs, spices, or rubs that are getting dusty because you’re afraid to use them… you simply don’t know what to do with them! Well, pull them out and show us a recipe you created to deliciously conquer that fearful spice. (Or maybe the recipe was a flop – and the spice still give you nightmares?!)

We bought some herbes de provence over a year ago for a lamb stew and it’s sat in the pantry since then. How could that be bad on a roast chicken?!

I’ll admit, I enlisted Nathan’s assistance for this one; roast chicken is mostly his domain around here. And it’s always fun to cook dinner together.

For the Chicken:Place the chicken pieces on a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Pat dry with paper towels and sprinkle both sides with salt. Cover with foil and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

When you’re ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 425°F and heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken liberally with herbes de provence, garlic powder, and black pepper. When your pan is hot, coat with EVOO and place the chicken in the pan, skin side down. Place the extra pan on top of the chicken, pressing it into the pan. This will really give your chicken a delicious, crispy skin.

Let the chicken sit for about 15 minutes before flipping. The chicken should lift up easily but if the skin is sticking, give it another couple of minutes before trying to flip again. After the chicken is flipped place it in the oven to finish cooking—about 20-25 minutes.

While the chicken is in the oven, in a small pot, add all of the ingredients for the gastrique. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer; the sauce should thicken up nicely, but keep an eye to be sure it doesn’t get too thick.

When the chicken is cooked through, remove from the oven and let rest for about 5 minutes. Plate it up with your sides, drizzle the gastrique, and enjoy!

I served our chicken with smashed gouda potatoes and roasted brussels sprouts. It was the perfect Sunday dinner [with lots of leftovers for the week!]

You all know how much I love my bites. They’re pretty much in every WIAW post and I’ve racked up quite a few recipes! A few weeks ago I was contacted by Skoop asking if I’d like to review one of their 3 powders—A Game, B Strong, or B Lovely. Seeing as I’ve had the chance to try a handful of protein powders, I decided to go the other way and asked to try A Game, their superfood powder.

On their website, they list some of the benefits of this superfood powder including:

Probiotics for gut health

Fights inflammation

10 servings of fruits and vegetables

Fiber to buffer sugar

Phytonutrient rich

Adaptogenic herbs

Clean all-day energy

Antioxidant rich

Immunity boosting

Speeds recovery

I’d never tried anything like this before and it’s hard to argue with those benefits. They offer a Sweetgreens flavor as well as Chocofresh. Skoop not only generously sent me a bag of the Sweetgreens to review, but also a couple samples of B Strong and B Lovely to sample as well [definitely have to try the Chocofresh soon!]. I was surprised to find out that the Sweetgreens A Game, while has a green hue, tastes very much like blueberry/acai. I knew it would be a great addition to some bites and when I saw Lindsay’s Blissful Blueberry Oat Cobbler Healthy Bites[she is the queen of healthy bites, after all], it was a done deal! I put a little twist on the recipe and it came out great.

DirectionsIn a large bowl, mix dry ingredients. Add in the applesauce and nut butter and mix until well combined. Using a 1/2 tbsp measuring spoon, measure out and shape the bites. Store in an air tight container in the fridge or freezer.

Nutritional StatsPer 1/2 tbsp bite

46 Calories / 2g Fat / 6g Carbs / 3g Sugar / 2g Fiber / 2g Protein

I may say this every time, but I think these might be one of my favorite bites yet! I think because of the amount of peanut butter I used, they’re extra creamy, even right out of the freezer. And, as always, they’re a great pre-workout snack.

To top it all off, Skoop is offering all of you 10% off your order! Just enter the code BARR10 at checkout for your discount. Enjoy!